Janelle Monaé Says Prince Worked on Her New Album

Janelle Monaé's new record apparently borrows a little star power from beyond the grave.

After drawing comparisons to Prince with freshly released single "Make Me Feel," the singer turned actor told BBC 1 Radio that there's a reason the late icon's fingerprints are all over the track: he actually worked on her upcoming album, Dirty Computer, before his death in 2016.

"Prince actually was working on the album with me before he passed on to another frequency, and helped me come up with sounds," she said. "I really miss him, you know, it's hard for me to talk about him. But I do miss him, and his spirit will never leave me.”

According to a since-deleted post from Prince's DJ, Lenka Paris, "Make Me Feel" features a synth line the Purple One penned years ago.

Monaé also detailed Prince's contributions in a recent Guardian feature, saying they were “collecting sounds” for the project just before he passed away. "The last time I saw him was New Year’s Day. I performed a private party in St. Bart’s with him, and after we sat and just talked for five hours," she said. "He was one of the people I would talk to about things, him and Stevie Wonder.”

She went on to say that Prince was one of her earliest champions, telling the outlet that he'd been encouraging after she sent him an early copy of 2010's ArchAndroid, and that he'd helped lobby for her first BET awards appearance. For Electric Lady, Monaé's most recent album, Prince performed on "Givin' Em What They Love."

Dirty Computer, due April 27, marks Monaé's first record in five years. She's thus far released two songs: "Make Me Feel" and "Django Jane."